MORE than 200 people turned up to a residents' meeting on Thursday looking at last-gasp ways to help save Formby Hall from demolition.

With the submissions deadline for the independent public inquiry into the future of the popular civic venue now just a week away, the meeting at Atherton Community School was in effect a call to arms.

Chaired by Bolton West MP Chris Green and the Atherton Residents' Association, they urged all residents across the borough to submit written or photographic evidence of the need and uses of the hall, detailing how its loss would be detrimental to the town.

The government has requested submissions from anyone with an opinion on the matter.

And the association has offered to assist residents in putting together their submissions in time to meet the deadline next Thursday, May 12.

The public inquiry is one of just seven to have been opened in the whole of England over the last year.

It will decide if developers Formby Hall Limited and Hilldale Housing get the go ahead to demolish the building and build an elderly care facility on the site.

An application for the community hub to be demolished was approved on January 19, but the Rt Hon Greg Clark, secretary of state for communities and local government, ‘called in’ the application the following day.

Stuart Gerrard, independent candidate for Atherton and chairman of the Atherton Residents' Association, said: “Getting a public inquiry is a major outcome. We at the association are over the moon with this and are still extremely hopeful of a positive outcome.”

The association's Carol Roberts added: “Research has shown that not only the hall but the land it stands on was gifted by Mrs Gertrude Burrows to the Atherton township for the benefit of the people of Atherton for ‘leisure purposes’.

“All this makes a complete mockery of any decision that Wigan Council made in this process, and worse still that it still stands by.

"There has been a lot of misleading information uncovered.”

For help with putting together a submission for the public inquiry, see the Atherton Residents' Association's Facebook page or call Carol on 07713 253350. Three copies of your submission must be sent to the Planning Inspectorate at Room 3/26, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6PN, quoting reference ‘APP/V4250/V/16/3143845’, by May 12 in order for you to have your say on Formby Hall's future.